 Come-uppance for cable operators
Quote:Satellite television viewers, who were at the mercy of Multi Service Operators (MSOs) and cable operators all these years, need not put up with the latter’s tyranny anymore.
The MSOs and cable operators, who number about 3000 and cater to a subscriber base of 3 lakh, are now facing stiff competition from ‘Direct to Home System (DTH)’ satellite TV providers and, in the process, viewers have a wide array of channel choice.
However, what is worrisome is that nearly 10,000 people in the district earn livelihoods from these operations, directly and indirectly. The cable operators who had been calling the shots till now, collecting Rs 175-200 monthly as service charge are facing an uphill task retaining their customers, more so in the rural areas.
With television becoming an integral part of most people’s lives, the MSOs had been exploiting to the hilt the craze for the idiot box and viewers had no go but to put with frequent interruptions for hours or even days.
In this scenario, the arrival of DTH has come as a boon to customers, forcing cable operators to clean up their act. Already, there are three major players — Sun TV, Dish TV and Tata Sky — providing DTH services in the district, and more are about to set up shop with attractive packages, including free services for a year and collection of installation charges in easy instalments.
It goes without saying that DTH has greater clarity and reliability as compared to cable. Tataiah, a fisherman from Ramatheertham in Vidavalur mandal, vouches for this. Of the 57 homes in his village, 10 have DTH connections as do half of the 30 families in the nearby Ponnangi village.
Seeing a bleak future for cable operators, Lakshmi Electronics owner Sudha stresses: ‘‘If quality of service is good, people do not shy away from spending more.’’
Cable operator Ramu has seen how a handful of DTHs in his area just three months ago have swelled to 60 and are eating into his revenue to the tune of Rs 6000. ‘‘I am worried as more customers are indicating that they are going to discontinue cable connection,’’ he said.
Cable Operators Association district president Venu admits that they are gradually losing their subscriber base. ‘‘We are trying to do our best to improve service and withstand the onslaught of DTH,’’ he says.
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